Guidance

MOD War Detectives (the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team): our future services, current appeals and past cases

Find out about future services and what current appeals are ongoing.

From:
Ministry of Defence and Veterans UK
Published
26 September 2019
Last updated
14 May 2025 鈥� See all updates

Our future services, current appeals and past cases

20 May

3pm - A burial service for one unknown soldier of the Sherwood Foresters, and one other unknown soldier. This service will take place at Loos British Cemetery Extension, France.

21 May

10.30am - A rededication service for Private John Walton of the South Staffordshire Regiment who died on 15 February 1916. This service will take place at Perth China Wall Cemetery in Belgium

3pm - A burial service for Private Harry James Birch of the Cheshire Regiment who died on 22 October 1917, and four unknown soldiers. This service will take place at Poelcapelle British Cemetery in Belgium

22 May

10am - A rededication service for Second Lieutenant William Knight of the North Staffordshire Regiment, attached to the Bedfordshire Regiment at the time of his death on 21 April 1915. This service will take place at Oosttaverne Wood Cemetery, Belgium

4 June

3.30pm 鈥� A rededication service for Flying Officer Philip Anthony Cox RAF, 501 Sqn. Killed in action on 27 July 1940. This service will take place at Bergen-op-Zoom Cemetery, The Netherlands.

10 June

3pm 鈥� A burial service for Serjeant Henry Ashton of the Durham Light Infantry who was killed in action on 22 April 1917. This service will take place at Loos British Cemetery Extension, France

11 June

10.30am 鈥� A rededication service for Company Sergeant Major Harry Lowe of the Durham Light Infantry who was killed in action on 4 October 1917. This service will take place at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium

3pm 鈥� A rededication service for Captain Ernest Blencowe of the Dorsetshire Regiment who was killed in action on 16 February 1916. This service will take place at Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium

12 June

10.00am 鈥� A burial service for three unknown soldiers of the Great War. This service will take place at Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium.

24 June

All of the services on 24 June will be taking place at Le Grand-Luc茅 War Cemetery, France.

09.45am 鈥� A rededication service for Private William Falconer of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders attached to 4 Company Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps who died on 14 June 1940.

10.30am 鈥� A rededication service for Gunner Joseph Humphries of 71 Field Regiment, The Royal Regiment of Artillery who died on 14 June 1940.

11.15am 鈥� A rededication service Signalman Edmund Roberts of The Royal Corps of Signals who died on 13 June 1940.

12.00pm 鈥� A rededication service for Major Richard White-Cooper of 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment who died on 12 June 1940.

26 June

All of the services on 26 June will be taking place at Banneville-la-Campagne War Cemetery, France.

10.00am 鈥� A rededication service for Trooper Francis Dominic Kelly of 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, killed in action on 15 August 1944.

10.45am 鈥� A rededication service for Trooper Victor Terrence Little of 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, killed in action on 8 August 1944.

11.30am 鈥揂 rededication service for Private John Aneurin Protheroe of 2nd Battalion The Monmouthshire Regiment, killed in action on 15 August 1944.

Appeals for family

There are no appeals outstanding at this time.

Our Past Cases

Details of some of the MOD War Detectives鈥� past cases can be found below:

*Windsor soldier of World War One buried with full military honours

Updates to this page

Published 26 September 2019
Last updated 14 May 2025 show all updates

  1. Details of June services added Link to press release for a previous service added

  2. Link to previous services press release added

  3. Change to time of service on 29 April - was 2.30pm, now 3pm

  4. Addition of details of forthcoming services

  5. Details of past services removed Links to press releases for past services added

  6. Links to Press Releases relating to past services added.

  7. Addition of dates for services in March & April 2025

  8. Link added to past service

  9. Past services have been removed and details of upcoming services added. Links to press releases for past services have been added.

  10. Edited to remove details of services which have already happened

  11. Added: details of October services.

  12. Details of services in Netherlands added

  13. Details of past services removed, and links to the news stories for those services added.

  14. Information about a burial service on 26 September added. This service is expected to attract a high level of interest and therefore Commonwealth War Graves Commission is running a free ballot to allocate tickets.

  15. Details of June services removed, and links added to the news stories for those services.

  16. Details of past service removed Time of service on 20 June changed Details of July services added Link to news story for recent service added

  17. More detail has been added about the soldiers being buried on 20 June

  18. Details of the May services were removed as they have now passed. Details added of forthcoming services in June. Links to more past cases added.

  19. The service for Pte Birch on 23 May 2024 has been cancelled and therefore details were removed from this page.

  20. Details of April Services removed. Details of May services added. Links to past services updated.

  21. Details of March 2024 services removed, and April 2024 services added

  22. Details of March 2024 services have been added.

  23. Note added that no further services are planned in 2023

  24. Update to the services of 8th and 9th November.

  25. Addition of link to latest commemorative service

  26. Links added to news stories about services in Belgium on 25 & 26 October 2023

  27. Added details of services in November 2023

  28. Details of service on 31 October 2023 added.

  29. Updated page with details of past services

  30. Links added for details of past services

  31. Details of the September services were removed and details of forthcoming services in October were added.

  32. Details of an additional blessing service added

  33. Added details of services in late September.

  34. Added details of services planned for mid-September

  35. Details of early September 2023 services included

  36. Update for September services.

  37. Added a link to the service held on 21 June 2023 in France

  38. Derails of service for 20 June 2023 included.

  39. Included an update to provide details of the services for June 2023

  40. Links to the three May services included.

  41. Details of this week's services have been moved from "Forthcoming Services" to "Past Cases" with links to news releases

  42. Details of 3 more burial/rededication ceremonies added.

  43. Future services removed/updated and details of March Services included in 'Our Past Services'.

  44. Updated with details of two past services from March 2023.

  45. Details of services on 18 and 19 April have been added.

  46. Details of three new rededication services added.

  47. Details of an appeal for family have been added.

  48. Included details of the services to be held on 17 November 2022.

  49. Details of rededication of a Sheffield solider being laid to rest 105 years after his death added to past services.

  50. Details of an additional service have been added. Details of "forthcoming services" have now been added to "past cases".

  51. Details of "forthcoming service" deleted and link to report added to "past cases".

  52. Details of additional services have been added. "Forthcoming services" which have now passed have been deleted and links to news items added.

  53. Details of "forthcoming services" that have happened have been removed.

  54. Details of further 4 services added.

  55. Details of forthcoming services added.

  56. Details of "Forthcoming case" changed to "Past Case"

  57. Details of two "forthcoming services" changed to "past cases" with link to news item.

  58. Details of forthcoming services added.

  59. Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past" cases with link to news release.

  60. Details of "forthcoming" services moved to "past cases".

  61. Details of two services removed from "forthcoming" and transferred to "past cases" with associated link.

  62. Details of forthcoming services changed to past cases with links to news reports.

  63. Additional information on the service to be held at New Irish Farm cemetery on 30 June 2022.

  64. Details of rededication service moved from "forthcoming events" to "past cases".

  65. Addition of 3 more Forthcoming Services.

  66. Details of 2 rededication services have been moved from "future" to "past" events.

  67. Details of two rededication services moved from "forthcoming" to "past" services.

  68. Details of another 5 rededication services added.

  69. A "Forthcoming Service" has now become a "Past Service". Updated accordingly.

  70. Details of a "Forthcoming Service" now changed to "Past Case".

  71. Details of recent ceremony removed from "Forthcoming Services". Link added to details of news release.

  72. Details of "Forthcoming Services" for May 2022 published.

  73. Details of ceremonies that have now taken place have been removed from "Forthcoming Ceremonies" and moved to "Past Cases".

  74. Details of services that have now taken place have been removed.

  75. Details of "Forthcoming Services" now changed to "Our Past Cases".

  76. Details of 3 x April 2022 rededication services

  77. Details of 4 additional rededication services in Belgium on 22 March 2022.

  78. Adding details of an additional 5 rededication services

  79. Addition of forthcoming events

  80. Update to appeals section

  81. New appeal for WW1 casualty's family launched.

  82. Details of today's service removed and link to news release about it added.

  83. Additional information on forthcoming service.

  84. Details of completed services now deleted from Forthcoming Services section. Links to recent service reports added.

  85. Details of additional military funeral November 2021.

  86. Details of 3 more commemorative funerals published. Link inserted to "previous cases" to news item about Royal Flying Corps casualty.

  87. Removed details of ceremonial services that have now taken place.

  88. Change to COVID restrictions in France.

  89. Details of additional service uploaded.

  90. Statement regarding ceremonial burials - Autumn 2021

  91. Family appeal deleted as appeal has been successful.

  92. New appeal for family added and previous one deleted.

  93. Inserting corrected email address; DBS-MODWarDetectives@mod.gov.uk

  94. Added an appeal for family under the 'current appeals' heading.

  95. Notification of cancellation of the rest of 2020 burial and rededication ceremonies.

  96. Notification of further cancellations

  97. Deleting details of services that have had to be posponed.

  98. Changing calendar of events

  99. Details of additional ceremonies added

  100. Change to dates of when services may resume.

  101. Cancellation of all scheduled services due to COVID-19

  102. Changes to details of appeals and services.

  103. We have added details of additional services and appeals

  104. To add details of future services

  105. Deleted details of services that have now taken place,

  106. First published.

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